The Tennessee Volunteers’ season came to an end after a heartbreaking loss to the Houston Cougars in the Elite Eight. The game wasn’t particularly close from the start, marking the Vols’ second consecutive Elite Eight loss. Head coach Rick Barnes lost a significant amount of senior talent after last season, so he had to recruit heavily through the transfer portal—which he did successfully.
While the incoming talent will certainly help, things will feel different without fan favorite Zakai Zeigler. After the loss to Houston, Zeigler was seen in tears as he exited the game for the final time, offering an emotional apology to his coach.
“Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said an emotional Zakai Zeigler hugged him while walking off the floor in the final minute and said, 'I'm sorry, coach.' I told him to stop. He never needs to apologize to me for anything,” Wes Rucker posted.
However, that may not have been Zeigler’s final college game—he could return if granted another year of eligibility by the NCAA.
“(Zeigler) seeks to compete in the fifth year of his five-year eligibility window while pursuing a graduate degree," the lawsuit states. "But he finds himself arbitrarily barred from doing so by an NCAA rule that limits athletes to participating in only four seasons of intercollegiate competition within the five-year window (the 'Four-Seasons Rule'). As a result, he cannot compete or earn NIL compensation during his fifth year—the most lucrative year of the eligibility window for the vast majority of athletes."
If it were up to college basketball analyst Jeff Goodman, Zeigler would not get another shot.
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“I love Zakai Zeigler, but he’s played a full 4 years and 138 college games. That’s enough. Give a college freshman an opportunity,” Goodman posted.
Goodman has consistently argued against granting extra eligibility to players who have completed four full seasons. While Zeigler has had a major impact at Tennessee, Goodman believes his college career should come to a close.